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Step Four: Becoming an Effective Small Group Leader—"You Do, I Watch!”

One of my greatest joys in ministry is to watch children in whom I have poured my life flourish.AdobeStock 47458681 72

Watching them struggle with responsibility and then come out on the other side doing amazing things for the Lord is such a joy.

What I have learned in the past ten years is that when I incrementally give kids responsibilities beyond their abilities, they almost always step up to the plate.

One young lady who served with me for more than seven years told me during one of our mission trips, “I know what you are doing now.”

I said, “What’s that?” “You always give me the impossible, and after I go through it, I am looking for the next big thing that God will do in my life.”

She got it!

 

If you are a D-group (small group) leader, your greatest joy will come when you pass the baton to the next generation.

I know, I know…“They just can’t do it as good as I can.” That’s right!

However, you may be hindering their faith by not allowing them to serve using their gifts.

You have heard these excuses:

“They just can’t do things like serving in the church.”

“They are not developmentally ready!”

“They are too young!”

“They are not mature enough!”

If you have watched any of the junior cooking shows, the kids are only eleven or twelve years old. Yet from memory, they can whip up a dish without looking at a recipe.

They mix contents in mixing bowls with large motors.

They turn on hot ovens to the proper temp and take food in and out.

In the end, they prepare an appetizer or entree that amazes professional chefs.

Kids know how to think on their feet under tremendous pressure, and they somehow come through successful

Why does the world seem to get it, but the church is blind to what kids can do?

We have talked about this before. Every believer has spiritual gifts that have value in the body of Christ, even believing children.

If every believer is to use their gift for the purpose of building up the body of Christ, then we must become intentional and creative in finding places for them to serve, even within our small groups.

So, here are your next steps to becoming a life-changing teacher (“You Do, I Watch”):

  1. They take the records. Give them to your gifted administrator/organizer.
  1. They lead the prayer time. Allow them to lead your prayer time.
  1. They minister to each other. Encourage the kids in your group to encourage each other. Some have the gift of encouragement.
  1. They contact those who are out that week. For your kids with the gifts of mercy or hospitality, have them contact the kids who missed that week.
  1. Have the kids with the gift of hospitality greet new kids and make them feel welcome to your small group.
  1. They teach. There are kids in your group with the gift of teaching. You can assign them all or a portion of the lesson to teach the following week.

The more you can allow them to serve, the more the foundation of their faith is set and their identity in Christ becomes clearer as they grow in the body of Christ.

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